Of Compasses and Statues
by ScarletRedfox
Summary: Marinette was pretty sure that she only had one statue that drove her compass crazy, however, with the appearance of Luka in her life, she wasn't so sure anymore. He was different, different from Adrien and she found changes weren't so bad after all, even if her mind kept telling her differently. ON HIATUS UNTIL MAY!
1. A New Statue

**A/N:** Hello fellow readers and Miraculous fans, Redfox here :3 I've decided to publish something of a one-shot-possible-shot-collection of **SEASON 2** snippets, particularly the most latest episode **Season 2, Episode 12: „Captain Hardrock".** I know, not many fans watched it yet, but I just couldn't resist writing something about our new character Luka Couffaine! :) While I still ship the Lovesquare (in particular Marichat XD), Luka's brief character revelation and his short interactions with Marinette just made me smitten with him and I think there could be potential :3

 **WARNING: -SEASON 2, EPISODE 12 SPOILERS! -SEASON 2 SPOILERS-**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous Ladybug!_**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

 _ **Of Compasses and Statues**_

* * *

 _I think Marinette the compass has found herself a new statue._

Marinette bit her lip as she watched her friends say goodbye to each-other before everyone went home, it was close to curfew and Marinette should be getting ready to leave too but…

For some reason, Alya's earlier words bothered her. She knew her friend had been teasing, she hoped, but when she had seen Adrien before, her heart…hadn't started racing a mile a minute like it used to, it almost…beat normally. Almost.

She had felt it accelerate, but no where near it's usual level of crazy whenever she was around Adrien and now she was freaking out.

Was there a possibility she was slowly losing her crush on Adrien? That she was starting to maybe notice Luka?

Marinette violently shook her head, no, no, _no!_

 _That can't be!_

 _Of course,_ she liked – no _loved_ – Adrien! He was perfect! He was cute and kind and polite! And she only knew Luka for a day, sure, he liked Jagged Stone too and he seemed pretty funny and cool, but-

"-see tomorrow?" Marinette's eyes widened and Alya shot her a weird look when she jumped in fright, "Helloo? Girl, where is your mind running off to again?" she rose an eyebrow, already anticipating the answer.

Marinette tried not to stammer, _tried_ , "Uh, I, ah-I mean, it's-," she frantically grabbed at her head, groaning, "I don't know what to think Alya! This is all too crazy!"

"What's too crazy?" she whirled around at the sound of the deep voice and met none other than Luka himself, sporting an easy, calm smile as he looked down at her.

Marinette stared.

 _Snap out of it!_

Alya roughly elbowed her and Marinette's brain turned on again, "I, uh, it…t-the music festival!" she grinned widely, "In a good way, yeah! Today was…definitely a crazy day, huh?" she scratched the back of her neck, shooting Alya a quick, grateful look.

Luka chuckled, obviously amused at her stuttering, "You can say that again." He smiled sheepishly, scratching his neck, "I'm sorry my mom got like that, she can get…pretty passionate about things she likes, like music. I guess that's something that runs in the family," he laughed and it brought a smile to Marinette's face.

Alya smirked from the sidelines, observing the two like a hawk.

Marinette smiled shyly, staring at her feet, "Well…everyone gets like that, it's not your fault, besides, I thought officer Roger had been a bit harsh, since it was the music festival and all. But it was nothing I and-I m-mean, Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn't handle," she grinned nervously, feet tapping on the ground at her near slip-up.

Luka rose an eyebrow in confusion, "By the way, how did you manage to get off the ship and alert Ladybug so fast? She came only a few minutes after I got captured," he searched her face, his eyes narrowing when he spotted signs of nervousness.

Marinette swallowed, "I uhm-"

Alya, bless her soul, intervened, "She's friends with Ladybug, I bet she's got her on speed dial whenever an akuma attacks or something, I swear Ladybug's there only like a few minutes after Marinette disappears, it's like magic!" she laughed, and Luka looked at Marinette curiously.

"Magic, huh…" he rubbed his chin, but the suspicion clouding his eyes went away and he smiled at her adoringly, "Anyway, you were really brave back there Marinette," he smiled at her gently and Marinette felt…weird.

Like she wanted to run and jump and fly off somewhere like a rocket. Like the frenzied butterflies she usually had fluttering about crazily in her stomach whenever Adrien was near suddenly got even crazier tenfold with Luka here.

She shook her head, "What, me? Oh no, I," she smiled shyly, "I uhm, I just wanted to save everyone before anyone got hurt," she shook her head, "And besides, you were…really brave too," she smiled shyly.

But this time, Luka shook his head, "Nah, I didn't really do anything, it was you that alerted Ladybug. And that's what heroes do too, right? Think of everyone first before they think of themselves?" he winked, "In that respect, you're just like anyone else saving people on a regular basis,"

Alya latched onto her best friend's arm and Marinette knew she was doomed when she said, "You hit the nail on the roof, Luka! I totally agree! Marinette's a real hero, isn't she?" she gave her friend a quick hug, grinning from ear to ear and Marinette's face _burned_.

"No, no, no, really, I'm totally nothing special, especially not someone who saves lives every day!" she flailed with her arms frantically, trying to bring her point across.

But then, she noticed this. Luka wasn't necessarily comparing her to Ladybug, he was comparing her to any other civilian person saving lives daily, like firefighters, doctors or the police.

 _He hasn't even mentioned Ladybug and her in the same sentence!_

Marinette relaxed, if only slight. Good, there wasn't the possibility of getting connected to her alter ego.

She just had to change the subject, "Uhm, anyway, I-I found your playing earlier was-" Alya roughly poked her in the back and Marinette's last sentence ended up in a high squeak, "-g-GREAT!"

Marinette clamped her hands over her mouth, shooting Alya a quick mortified look. Alya barely suppressed her laughter while Luka was already chuckling.

"Really?" Luka suddenly made a show of arching his back just like Marinette did earlier when Alya had poked her, his tone exceedingly playful, "T-THANKS Marinette," he grinned at her gently, his eyes open and playful and she realized why.

He was trying to make her understand it was all in good fun and that he didn't mean any harm in teasing her like he did earlier when she had stuttered.

And then, she burst out into a fit of giggles and Luka couldn't help but join her, enjoying the way she relaxed when he teased her as opposed to their first meeting where he got her upset.

Alya crossed her arms and whispered under her breath, "Yeah, the compass is definitely going crazy,"

She gave Nino a thumbs-up when he looked at Luka and Marinette curiously and his eyebrows shot to his hairline at Alya's signal, shooting her a confused look in return.

What in the world was going on?

When things had calmed down, Marinette smiled apologetically at Luka, "Wow, it's really getting late!" she grabbed Alya's arm, "I guess we should be going now, thanks for the wonderful day!"

But Marinette froze when Luka suddenly stopped her, "Uh, wait!" she stopped and turned to look up at him.

He smiled and held out a piece of plastic toward her, it was his guitar pick with a custom design of Jagged Stone, "You forgot this," he smiled at her and she noticed he was smiling at her.

Marinette briefly fumbled with her fingers before taking the pick and when their fingers met, both quickly pulled their hands back when she held the pick in her hands now securely and she swore she was blushing, "Thanks Luka," she smiled at him genuinely and he smiled back, nodding.

"I…guess I'll see you around then, huh?" he buried his hands in his jeans pockets leisurely.

Despite her mind screaming at her, Marinette said, "Yeah…see you around, Luka," she waved and he waved back.

She said goodbye to Juleka and her mother before they joined Nino, who was waiting for them on the street.

While Marinette searched something in her purse a little ways ahead of Alya and Nino, secretly feeding Tikki and making sure she was alright, the couple hung back and had a hushed conversation.

"Is happening what I _think_ is happening?" Nino whispered to Alya heatedly, who had a secretive smirk on her face, watching Luka and Marinette.

Alya giggled quietly, "Let's just say the compass has found a new statue,"

Nino shot her strange look before they both caught up to Marinette again.

 **The end for this one shot – or maybe not? I'm still unsure if I want to continue or not, so for now, it's the end! Thank you kindly for reading :) :3**


	2. Pulling my Heartstrings

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I was very surprised at the reviews and favorites and follows I got for this short little (had-been-)one shot! *_* Thank you sincerely for the support, since Luka is a new character I thought I would mess up keeping everyone in character (especially since I don't write Miraculous fics for that long). Anyway, onto the next chapter :3

 **INFO:** Since this may evolve into a short collection of one shots, they are generally not connected to each-other, but I may reference previous one shots. **Prompts and suggestions are always very welcome! :)**

* * *

 **ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:**

 **GreekCrazyGirl:** haha My thoughts exactly, I kept browsing for any new stories with Luka in them but unfortunately the few ones I found were all in Spanish, so I thought to contribute to the community by writing something in English too ^_^ And thank you for the nice compliments :)

 **Gajer1226:** Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! :3

 **Yellow 14:** Thanks, I will! :)

 **Wolfrunnerable12:** We've only seen him for one episode (hopefully we'll see more) but I like his character already, he has that calm and mature aura about him and he actually considers Marinette's feelings when she felt upset about him teasing her. I liked the little things that set him apart from Adrien, where Adrien is oblivious to Marinette's feelings, I think Luka is pretty observant and reacts accordingly to make her feel better. It's just what Marinette needs after being ignored in that respect by Adrien. Of course, nobody can outshine our sunchild with just one episode ;)

 **YVictoria:** Thank you, that's so sweet of you! :)

 **Ramunebaka:** haha Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D

 **Mayuralover:** haha right? They said he will be nice rounded character so I hope we won't be disappointed in future episodes!

 **Guest:** Thank you so much! :3

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _Pulling my Heartstrings_**

* * *

The way his fingers and the pick he held between them slid almost effortlessly over the vibrating strings of his guitar mesmerized her and she nearly jumped when his eyes opened again and he looked directly at her, just like the first time they met.

He patted the spot next to him on the bed and Marinette slowly walked over to him, sitting next to him, a bit closer than she had last time she had been here.

Marinette looked at the clock, where was Juleka? She said she would get some snacks for them and be back in a few minutes.

Marinette watched again as Luka continued playing, the slow music feeling so familiar and… welcoming, "I know I asked this before but…how do you do that?" she smiled when his eyes opened again, broken out of their previous concentration.

Luka chuckled, gaze steady on her, "You know, it's actually pretty easy, you just have to strum your fingers over the strings of the guitar to produce a sound," he chuckled at the look on her face.

She pouted, "I-I meant, how do you…know what's in my heart?" she placed a hand over it, suddenly feeling how it's beat got faster.

Luka regarded her curiously, "It's your face," she looked at him, stunned, "I can tell what you feel by looking into your eyes. Right now, you're pretty surprised I can read you so well," he gave a low chuckle and Marinette flushed in embarrassment.

"A-ah, well I-" she coughed into her hand, "It's just…a few days ago I didn't even know Juleka had an older brother and then there was the music festival and the thing with Captain Hardrock and the thing with the compass and the statue and, and-" a warm hand suddenly rested on her shoulder and squeezed her gently.

"Marinette, breathe," Luka watched in amusement how the girl took a deep breath, before finally calming down from her rant, "And what about a compass and a statue?" he rose an eyebrow, light blue eyes staring at her curiously.

Marinette's eyes widened and her whole face turned an even darker shade of red than her Ladybug suit, "O-oh, did I say compass? Statue?" she thought quickly and thankfully, her brain managed to conjure up a convincing lie, "Uhm, it's something your mom said. About… how the compass goes crazy when metal comes near it. There was a metal statue and I accidentally put it near the compass, that's why she said that," she smiled sheepishly.

Luka chuckled, "I see," he smirked, "Well, the compass should be fine now since there's nothing metal near it,"

And Marinette sighed, " _I don't think Marinette the compass is entirely fine right now,"_ she swallowed thickly and reprimanded herself mentally for her own thoughts. She obviously had made a weird expression because Luka gave her an odd look.

"Let me guess, you put something metal near it again?" he couldn't help but laugh at the panicked look on her face as she flailed with her arms frantically.

"W-wha-? No, no! I didn't, I swear!" her eyes moved left and right, as if expecting Mrs. Couffaine to appear from some corner and possibly reprimand her.

"Relax, Marinette, I believe you," his expression was playful but for some reason, the way he looked at her made her feel entirely too uneasy.

Even worse than Adrien-induced-mini-heart-attacks.

These were Luka-influenced-euphoria-rushes-and-brain-palpitations!

"Hey Marinette, sorry for making you wait, mom wanted me to help clean up," Juleka walked into the room she shared with her brother and spotted her friend sitting on her brother's bed, "Oh, I see you're occupied,"

Marinette turned on autopilot and she shot up from Luka's bed like a rocket, "W-what?! Me?! Oh no, no, I uh-we were just-uhm," _please kill her now!_

Luka chuckled, gesturing at the stuttering blue-haired girl, "Marinette was just telling me about compasses and metal," he grinned at the look on her face.

Juleka smiled, "Really? Alya mentioned that earlier too before everyone left at the music festival," she motioned with her head towards her own bed on the other side of the room, "Are you coming, Marinette?"

"Y-Yes!" she squeaked, her entire body freezing when she heard the amused, low chuckle behind her.

In the next second she heard a low melodious sound from the guitar and it calmed her frayed nerves, she turned her head toward Luka and the boy smiled at her, waving playfully.

Marinette's feet were already automatically carrying her off toward where Juleka was already waiting for her and she missed the way the goth's eyes moved between her amused brother and her embarrassed classmate.

Why was Marinette behaving around her brother like she usually did around Adrien?

Then, Alya's past conversation with Nino resurfaced in her mind from a few days ago.

 _"_ _Have you seen Marinette? I thought she would come home with us,"_

 _"_ _Marinette is…a bit busy, Mrs. Couffaine said she would bring her home later, something about a mini-concert in Luka's room,"_

 _"_ _What? DUDE! Why weren't we invited? That's so cool! That dude's got some mad skills with the guitar!"_

 _"_ _He sure does Nino, he sure does. I guess the compass has found itself a new statue,"_

Her eyes widened.

No, it was impossible. Marinette had had a huge crush on Adrien since the whole chewing gum incident cleared up, no way could Marinette forget her feelings for Adrien. The girl had posters of him all about her room, his schedule printed out, countless of images saved to her screensaver, hundreds of files about Adrien's favorite food, music and things he did in his free time.

Juleka's eye narrowed when her brother had an odd look about him, a similar look Marinette had around Adrien, only this time it looked a bit more calm and a bit less like he would go through the roof…it was pure adoration, a bit of playfulness, a seriousness he usually had about him and…something affectionate.

And then, she realized it.

Her hands quickly flew to her phone before Marinette could see what she was typing.

 _To Rose, 7:14pm:_

 _"_ _Rose, it's an emergency. We're in trouble. The ship is sinking."_

Not even a full minute later, Juleka got two messages back.

 _From Rose, 7:15pm:_

 _"_ _THE SHIP IS SINKING?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! IT DIDN'T EVEN SAIL! DID I MISS SOMETHING!?"_

 _"_ _JUL, call me! Call me"_

Juleka watched the way Marinette eyed her curiously and she quickly typed a reply.

 _To Rose, 7:15pm:_

 _"_ _I can't, I'm sorry. Marinette is watching me. But I think something is happening."_

Five seconds later.

 _From Rose, 7:16pm:_

 _"_ _Rose, I think Adrien has competition and I think it's Luka."_

Two minutes. Nothing. That was very concerning, especially for Rose.

And suddenly, six or more messages assaulted her and Marinette's eyes widened when Juleka's phone flashed repeatedly, "Wow, someone must be really excited or worried. Is everything alright, Juleka?" concerned bluebell eyes stared at her and Juleka didn't miss the way Luka was watching her worriedly from across the room.

She quickly shook her head, "Yes, it's just Rose. She's talking about the music festival and…said she would like to preform with us again," she smiled, thankful for her hair covering half of her face.

Luka smiled and continued gently strumming his guitar, plugging in his earphones to give the girl's some privacy.

"Oh, that would be cool, tell Rose she was really great singing up on stage!" Marinette grinned and Juleka couldn't help but smile at the praise.

"I will," before she quickly turned back to her messages.

All from Rose.

 _From Rose, 7:18pm:_

 _"_ _WHAAAT?! :L ARE YOU SURE?! BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR PLANS!"_

 _7:18pm:_

 _"_ _WHAT ABOUT ALL OUR BLUEPRINTS?! SOME OF THEM ARE PINK I DON'T WANT TO THROW THEM AWAY! T_T"_

 _7:18pm:_

 _"_ _How did that happen?! Did Luka's guitar magically confuse her?! Does she think Luka is Adrien?! YOU HAVE TO TELL HER THE TRUTH JUL!"_

 _7:18pm:_

 _"_ _Alright, let's calm down, what happened after everyone left?! You said everything went well! She listened to Luka playing the guitar, you had a great time singing together and your mother drove her home! What happened?!"_

 _7:19pm:_

 _"_ _JULEKA COUFFAINE YOU HAVE TO STOP YOUR BROTHER FROM ROMANTICALLY HYPNOTIZING OUR POOR MARINETTE!"_

 _7:19pm:_

 _"_ _WHAT IF HE EATS HER?!"_

Juleka's eyebrow rose from behind the protective curtain of her hair. What was Rose talking about now? _Eating_ her?

 _From Rose, 7:19pm:_

 _"_ _WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO OUR SHIP NAME ADRIENETTE?! WHAT NAME DO WE HAVE NOW? MARILUKA? LUKAMARI? MARIKA? MARILU?! LUMARI?! NETTEKA? LUKANETTE?!"_

 _7:20pm:_

 _"_ _I mean, I know Luka is really sweet and cool and friendly but, but, Marinette is made for Adrien! Once he figures out his feelings I'm sure they'll end up together! We can't abandon the Adrienette ship!"_

Juleka nervously looked at Marinette, who was blushing and trying not to look at her brother, who was peacefully sitting on his bed and strumming his guitar, oblivious to her quick glances.

Another message from Rose.

 _7:21pm:_

 _"_ _HELP ME JUL! I THINK LUKANETTE IS A CUTE SHIP NAME! HELP! WE NEED TO TELL THE GIRLS!"_

Juleka didn't think she could survive a video chat with all the girls with the way Marinette was glaring holes at her feet and the way her brother was chuckling quietly while watching her stare at her feet as if her life depended on it.

Juleka sighed.

 **Thank you everyone for reading! :) Any suggestions for improvement are welcome!**


	3. Soul's Melody & The Cat's Meow

**A/N:** Oh wow! Thank you everyone for all the follows, favorites and reviews, you're really amazing! I promise to try and improve my writing and try to get a better feeling for writing Luka, unfortunately we have only one episode to get a feel for his character (for now) ;)

* * *

 **ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:**

 **Yellow 14:** Haha thank you for the compliments, I actually had to laugh at Juleka's wording myself XD

 **Guest:** haha Me too, I'm starting to warm up to Luka as a character and I think Marinette seriously needs some appreciate for herself and not just her alter ego :)

 **FandomHopperETC:** You're very welcome! :3 I thought, while awesome that fans already wrote about them, I was a bit sad since I couldn't understand it and Google Translate can only do so much :P

 **BlerpBlerp:** (grins) Thank you so much!

 **Unfound name:** Ah thank you! I feel strangely honored how my stories affect my dear readers (I have to admit, I squealed while writing the chapter ;)

 **Maoriel:** Thank you sincerely for the sweet compliments, I try my best to double check my spelling since English isn't my first language (but very much feels like it lol). I'm still unsure of how to write Luka, since he is a new character, but I'll do my best :) FINALLY! I thought he looked a bit like Noctis too! I thought I was the only one :D

 **Marichat4evaa:** haha Me too, Luka is a good character so far and I really hope he shows up more. Thanks for all the compliments :3

 **Enjoy!**

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 ** _Soul's Melody & The Cat's Meow_**

* * *

He didn't necessarily spy on people.

 _Chat Noir_ didn't _spy_ on people.

Especially not girls at night.

A girl that, coincidentally, was his clumsy classmate and the girl he had saved from Evillustrator.

But still, _Chat Noir did not spy on people!_

He was immensely glad for the protection of his mask, if word ever got out that Adrien Agreste, Paris' sunshine model boy as the media had taken to calling him, was caught sitting on a rooftop eyeing the room where a girl was in, that would be _catastrophic._

Shaking his head wildly, Chat Noir focused back on the situation at hand. A situation he wouldn't even found himself in if it hadn't been for a certain older brother of a certain quiet classmate of his…

He had no idea how Luka was in Marinette's room, how her parents had allowed her that, how Marinette wasn't freaking out about having a boy in her room, then again, perhaps she had gotten used to it with his monthly-turned-weekly-visits as Chat Noir.

But _still_ having a boy she had just met was not even close to having a Parisian superhero in your room, he knew he would be freaking out and be up the walls would Ladybug grace him with her presence at the mansion.

He squinted, eyeing what they were doing even from the distance thanks to his enhanced eyesight.

They were talking.

That was innocent, that was good.

His gaze narrowed.

They were _laughing._

His princess was _blushing._

Chat let out what sounded like a mixture of a growl and an irritated hiss, ears flattening against his messy hair. He didn't think Marinette often invited boys to her room, sure he had been there once or twice as Adrien, even more times as Chat, but… _still!_

Chat Noir clawed at his head helplessly before bringing out his baton to call his lady. Perhaps she could help with his current situation.

No answer.

It seemed like his lady was preoccupied elsewhere, which left him alone to figure out his sullen mood. Usually Chat Noir was a relatively upbeat person, his civilian half was no exception, but tonight seemed like he would be meowling at the moon like the rest of his feline companions.

Well, _after_ Luka left. He had to make sure his princess was safe, after all. Not that he didn't trust the male per se, he had been pretty cool after the whole incident with Captain Hardrock and the music festival overall.

 _Adrien_ didn't have a problem with Luka.

He didn't know why Chat Noir should, but he _did_. And he wouldn't leave until he figured out why.

It came as a surprise to see the boy in her room right when he was on his way to visit her, up until this point he had thought they only fleetingly knew each-other during the music festival.

A quick detransformation, an entire conversation with Nino and a bit of Plagg's nagging later, he found his answer. Apparently, during his and Ladybug's fight with Captain Hardrock, Luka and Marinette had somehow freed themselves from their chains and Luka had helped Marinette escape before he got captured by his akumatized mother again.

He was sure Alya had more details, but as far as Nino went, Marinette apparently admired his skills with the guitar and the fact he was a huge Jagged Stone fan and had gifted Marinette some type of merchandise of the singer.

But _he_ liked Jagged Stone too. Granted, it wasn't his _favorite_ singer, but he liked him a lot. Adrien knew how to play instruments as well. So, what was so different about Luka?

Chat found himself too curious to keep his distance any longer and, with all the stealth of his namesake, scaled the walls and was now perched precariously right above Marinette's window, thankful that the window was opened by a sliver, so the conversation inside was heard much clearer.

" _Y-You really think so?"_ he heard Marinette's familiar stutter and wondered if the guy intimidated her.

He frowned. Nobody intimidated his princess except him! Well…Adrien…

He shook his head and concentrated back to their conversation.

Luka spoke next, " _Yeah, I've said it before, you're an amazing girl Marinette."_ The praise made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and his claws dug into the rooftiles beneath him, " _Is there something you can't do?"_

There was a laugh, a nervous but flattered laugh coming from Marinette, " _I-uh, w-well, there are a lot of things I can't do right! I can't sing or play an instrument at all, I'm not very good at dancing I have two left feet, I um, I can't-"_

Luka chuckled in amusement, fingers strumming a gentle, soothing melody to calm her anxious heart, " _But there are even more things you're great at. Relax princess,"_ Chat Noir bristled.

 _Princess?_

That did it.

Taking a deep breath, Chat Noir let out a series of the loudest and high-pitched cat meowls he could.

* * *

Both teenagers looked outside, where the full moon greeted them along with a few visible stars, "Is that…a cat singing?" Luka sounded amused and Marinette couldn't blame him.

The cat's meowling was so awful it was funny and she giggled, "I guess it is," her gaze narrowed suspiciously, "…Unnaturally loud," it almost sounded like the cat was right there in front of them. How odd…she didn't think cats mewling could be so loud and for some reason, it sounded awfully familiar…

Marinette stood up and closed the window, the cringy cat yowling dampened slightly.

Luka seemed to take it in stride, changing his previously smooth, slow tune to a slightly upbeat, faster one to match the cat's meowling, "You know, maybe we should find this stray and see if he wants to sing in a band with us," he chuckled and Marinette couldn't help but laugh as well.

* * *

Laughter.

 _Great._

Not only did his princess close the window, he could also hear the sound of Luka's faster melody playing on his guitar.

Was the man mocking him?

With a low hiss, Chat carefully dipped his head down, fingers tightly gripping the edge of the roof, leaning down just enough so he had a clear view of the two teens.

They were cuddling.

His claws dug into the rooftiles.

 _Oh?_ So they were _cuddling_ now?

A chord struck within him then, something that made him pause.

Luka was again playing a soft melody on his guitar, an affectionate smile on his face as Marinette scooted closer to him on the bed, not quite touching, but too close to be completely friendly either.

Luka didn't throw his hands around her or anything, he was being respectful, but Chat could see the small smile on his lips, he was enjoying Marinette's company.

His heart uncharacteristically tugged when he saw Marinette having the same expression, along with the soft blush on her cheeks. She closed her eyes and listened to him play and Luka seemed content just playing for her, peering at her when she closed her eyes only to smile in amusement and what Chat thought was genuine admiration and affection for the girl.

With a heavy heart, Chat Noir straightened and extended his baton, vaulting off the roof and jumping his way home.

He suddenly remembered Alya and Nino talking about the compass on the Couffaine's ship home, how anything metal that comes near it made the compass go crazy, like the metal statue he had seen there.

For the longest of time, he had thought Ladybug had been his statue, or perhaps he had been the statue that, in time, would drive his lady crazy, just like a compass.

Chat Noir had thought he had been the statue, maybe, but now he realized it.

He had been the compass and in the recent instances, Marinette had started to become his statue when it was clear his lady would never consider him as anything other than a friend and partner and he started noticing his classmate more.

But now his compass remained where it was, pointing in the same direction she would be in.

It seemed like he had lost his statue.

"Well…" he whispered brokenly into the dead of the night, "…at least you're happy now…princess…" the song Luka had played stuck in his head, it was a slow melody that sounded the complete opposite of what he was feeling now.

Happy.

 **Any suggestions for future chapters? :3 Oh my poor Marichat heart… T_T**


	4. Life is a song, love is the lyrics

**A/N:** Hey there! Long time no see! Time for another chapter, but before that…

Now I know I'll get a lot of hate for this and probably lose a few readers _BUT:_

In my _personal_ opinion, we have only seen one episode of Luka so far, but he's made such an impact on the fans, on their views about the Love Square, just like Thomas promised, that it got me thinking. Luka accomplished what we have been hoping would happen to Adrien, he actually made a _move_ and showed genuine admiration and interest in Marinette. He actually saw her for _herself_ , for _Marinette_ , not Ladybug, not the mask she dons. I noticed that it had been the first time that a person _didn't_ pay (romantic) attention to Ladybug, but instead if you watched Episode 12, Captain Hardrock, you'll notice how Luka immediately asked about Marinette after he got freed from the chains. It's those little details that made him a decent character for me, at least for his first appearance, how he noticed Marinette's feelings and could read them so well, where our sunshine cinnamon roll unfortunately is completely oblivious to them. Now I'm not saying Adrien _never_ cherished Marinette, but we're already into Season 2 and we didn't have so many instances of it. I would've been satisfied if he had cherished her as a friend just to make Marinette feel appreciated for herself. **This is solely my own opinion and I'm really sorry if it triggered some fans or contradicted other theories, feel free to tell me what you guys think in the reviews!**

Okay, enough of my rambling, please enjoy this chapter! :)

 ** _NOTICE:_** **The small paragraph with Luka's lyrics is purely made up by me!**

* * *

 ** _Life is a song, love is the lyrics_**

* * *

He's the guitar player that will melt your heart and make your compass go crazy.

At least, that's what Alya's most recent comment made Marinette believe.

"Girl, you know I'm like, the biggest Adrienette shipper on this _planet_ ," her friend's smile turned sympathetic but sad as she rested a hand on her shoulder, "But you've been running after Adrien for long enough, I think maybe something new may not be so bad. Who knows," she smiled encouragingly.

Marinette frowned, "N-no! You're wrong Alya! I-I can't just…just _forget_ Adrien!" she played with her fingers nervously as they neared school, "I mean…I just met Luka a few days ago on the music festival. W-we were just talking after all and he just gave me his guitar pick, it doesn't mean anything!" she laughed nervously, trying to forget the fact that she was carrying the gift in her pants pocket _right now._

…She didn't even _have_ a guitar!

Alya sighed, "Marinette, I'm not saying to _forget_ about Adrien, okay? I'm just saying that… a new ice-cream flavor may open up a whole new perspective!" she grinned and winked.

Ice cream? Weren't they talking about compasses and statues? _Ugh!_

Alya's gaze narrowed before her whole face suddenly broke into a smile and she waved, "Hey! Over here guys!"

For a moment, Marinette thought she was waving over Adrien and Nino, and her heart did that nervous pitter-patter thing again. She could feel the familiar urge to stutter rising in her chest. Yes! _This_ was the Marinette she knew! Right! Adrien, Adrien, Adrien, Adri-

"Hey," Marinette's eyes flew open at the too deep, too smooth voice calling out to them.

Wait…Adrien didn't have such a deep voice…Nino didn't either…just who-

"Hey girls," wait… _Juleka?_

Marinette's heart plummeted to her stomach and soared up again to her throat when she noticed just who stood right in front of her.

It was Juleka.

With _Luka._

"Hi guys, fancy meeting you here," Alya's comment was more directed toward Luka than Juleka and the guitarist picked up on it with a smile.

"I'm just accompanying my sister to school, see what it's like and all," Luka's eyes didn't stay on Alya for long as he turned his attention to Marinette, "Hey Ma-ma-Marinette," he chuckled, shooting her a reassuring wink.

Marinette the compass _combusted._

"O-oh, uh, h-hi L-L-Luka!" Marinette froze, inwardly cursing herself, "I-I mean, hayo!"

Alya giggled beside her. _Hayo? What was that?!_

Luka seemed to be amused at her stuttering, "Hayo? Oh you mean ' _ohayo'_?" he grinned, "Well, it's still morning, I guess," he chuckled good naturedly and Juleka smiled at Marinette's attitude.

"I didn't know you knew Japanese too," Juleka commented with a small smile and a raised eyebrow, watching her brother's face soften.

Alya looked at the blue-haired girl with raised eyebrows, crossed arms and a smug smirk.

Marinette wanted to die, "Oh, uh, Japanese, right, right. Well, I…h-have relatives in Japan too! I just know a few words really," the god of all kwamis help her if she survived this encounter with a few bruises.

Luka smiled, "Really? That's awesome, I've always wanted to learn a language like that. Maybe you could teach me sometime?" his smile was innocent and friendly, but to Marinette, it spelled all kinds of trouble.

Her poor brain was melting, ' _ME?! HIM?! STUDYING?! JAPANESE?! BUT I DON'T KNOW JAPANESE! WHAT DO I DO, WHAT DO I DO?! I NEED TO LEARN JAPANESE! NO, WAIT!'_ Marinette's mouth was open but no sound came out and Alya waved her hand in front of her face to snap her friend out of her trance-like state.

Luka frowned worriedly, "Are you okay Marinette?" his hand was on her shoulder in concern and she could suddenly smell his subtle cologne and - _he was so close-_ and he was looking at her with those worried, blue eyes of his and - _he was so close!-_ she was pretty sure she wasn't even talking but just staring at him and _smelling_ him, and he smelled so _nice_ and it made her head spin and- _he was so close!_

"Hellooo? Earth to Marinette?" Alya gently knocked her knuckles against the side of her friend's head and that seemed to do the trick.

"You s-smell nice," Alya's jaw dropped and Juleka's visible eye widened considerably as Marinette muttered these words and they both knew she hadn't meant to say them out loud.

Luka seemed….stunned, "T-thanks," Juleka's gaze switched to her brother, did he just… _stutter?_ "You smell really nice too, Marinette,"

 _You smell really nice too, Marinette._

 _You smell really nice too, Marinette._

 _You smell really nice too, Mari-_

"T-thanks!" she squeaked when she felt the sharp finger jab at her spine and Alya's surprised but elated look focused on them entirely.

Luka chuckled, seeming a bit flustered at the sudden but welcome compliment and he just… _looked_ at her with a fond smile.

Juleka cleared her throat, "Shouldn't we head to class?" she was pretty sure they had madame Mendelev and she wouldn't want to be late to _her_ class.

Alya grinned like a fox, "You're right Juleka! What a great idea!" Alya winked but Juleka shook her head with a smile and Alya smiled back, "Let me just find Nino, see ya later guys!" she waved as she sprinted toward school in speed Marinette had rarely seen her in.

Luka chuckled as he started to walk alongside his sister and Marinette, Juleka having started to slowly start walking toward school so they wouldn't be late to class, but still not miss this moment.

Marinette blushed, "So, uh, you said you were coming to see the school?" she looked up at Luka to find he was already looking at her.

He shared a look with his sister, "Yeah, I wanted to see where my sister went to school and what her friends were like. I've seen some pictures, but I wanted a few names with the faces," he pointedly looked at Marinette, "And I guess walking on land is a nice change of scenery from the sea," Juleka and him both chuckled, knowing how their mother disagreed.

Marinette smiled and giggled, relaxing, "Oh, I see. Well, I hope you'll like it." When Luka looked back at her, she blushed, "I mean, your visit to school and all and meeting the others," she scratched her neck, wishing the ground would swallow her up before she found a safe topic, "Wait, but don't you have school too?" she rose an eyebrow.

Luka sighed, "No, I was homeschooled until now, but I'm thinking of applying to a real school," he smiled sheepishly, "There are many schools to choose from, it's kind of a hard _pick_." Marinette rose an eyebrow.

Luka was sending Marinette a sidelong glance, "You know what they say about us guitarists," he smiled, "We are picky about the things we like," he winked at Marinette and Juleka could see her brain was slowly malfunctioning.

"Uhm, w-well I really hope you like our-m-my- uhm, _this_ school!" she giggled nervously, "I mean, we could use someone like you with your skills with the guitar in choir and uh, with our school's music festivals and- I bet the monsieur Damocles will be thrilled to hear you play!" she grinned widely, too widely.

Juleka giggled, hoping her brother's playful side wouldn't overwhelm her friend too much, if only Luka wouldn't overdo it-

"Woah," Luka suddenly stopped walking, before smiling at Marinette with his half-lidded look, "Was that an earthquake or did you just _rock_ my world?" he chuckled when he saw Marinette's face turn a new shade of red. He had to confess, the unexpected compliments swayed him slightly, he hadn't expected that from the shy girl.

Juleka shook her head, "You're horrible," Luka shot her a small smile, watching as Marinette tried to string together words with her tomato face.

The bell rang and both girls had slightly panicked looks on their faces, "Sorry but we have to hurry to be on time!" Juleka waved at her brother as she raced toward the hallway, "Come on Marinette!" the girl nodded, on the verge of taking off, before it hit her.

Luka _punned._

 _Twice!_

An image of Chat Noir suddenly appeared in her mind and Marinette violently shook her head, " _No, no, no! That can't be! It's impossible! Luka can't be Chat! Luka's been chained up during the akuma attack while Chat Noir was up fighting Captain Hardrock!"_ she groaned.

Luka rose an eyebrow bemusedly as he watched the girl despair, "Better hurry Marinette," he watched the girl break out into a dead run when she spotted him watching her, her flushed face made him chuckle.

"What a girl…" he muttered under his breath, sighing as he took out his small, black notebook and produced a pen from his pocket, scribbling something down.

 _Dark blue hair_

 _Bright blue eyes_

 _Cutest face and sweetest smile_

 _Turning my world upside down_

 _I feel like I could drown_

 _Shy, sweet, smart on her feet_

 _She stutter's in a heartbeat_

 _And rocks my world_

 _Along with my heartbeat_

Luka smiled, closing his notebook and putting it away, looking at the school building, "A guitarist may be picky, but I think I just found what I was looking for,"

He smiled and adjusted his bag slung over his shoulder, his application forms for school already in hand.

 **Damn…I'm so sorry this took so long! Any wishes for the next chapter dear readers? Maybe a meet up between Chat and Luka? :3**


	5. The Right Place

**A/N:** Hello everyone! I've been pretty busy in RL, studies and all, but I simply adore the cute feedback I received for my previous chapter and I just got inspiration to write again XD Thank you all so much for your reviews, I really appreciate and cherish each and every one of them :3 (virtual hug)

 **ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:**

 **Niconoir:** Thank you so much! But really, Luka's hairstyle was definitely intentionally styled to match Chat's hair (perhaps Marinette being her oblivious self would forget Captain Hardrock and think Luka and Chat were the same?)

 **9YearsofMaka:** Aw, thank you! You're too sweet! :3 I hope it wasn't too cheesy ^^

 **Spunky Kitten:** AND I LOVE YOUR USERNAME! :3 Thank you!

 **Guest:** Thanks so much for the compliment! :)

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

 ** _The Right Place_**

* * *

 _Right might not always be "right". That_ _'_ _s why the heart is on the left, because it's not always right._

Marinette smiled and held a hand over her heart, listening to the soft, soothing tunes of the guitar.

It's as if he's making the guitar sing.

Marinette blushed, " _It's as if he's making my heart sing…"_

The music suddenly stopped and before Marinette could question why, a large warm hand gently settled on her shoulder, "Marinette? Everything alright?" Luka's bright blue eyes met her own ones and her blush intensified.

 _Luka-induced-earthquake-heart-attacks-and-brain-palpitations._

 _Luka-induced-earthquake-heart-attacks-and-brain-palpitations._

 _Luka-induced-earthquake-heart-attacks-and-_

"Marinette?" now, both of his hands were on her shoulders and Marinette felt ready to either spontaneously combust or melt into a puddle of goo.

She chose to finally speak, "W-wha?" her face heated instantly when she noticed just how _close_ he was.

Luka rose an eyebrow curiously, trying to read her expression and the embarrassed blush on her face, before he quickly pulled his hands back, which seemed far too warm on Marinette's shoulders, "Uh, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, you were spacing out and-"

For the first time in her life, Marinette saw a boy becoming flustered -or was it embarrassed?- because of her.

And it was _Luka._

Smooth-talking, shiver-causing, punloving, cool Luka-

Wait…

" _Did I just describe Chat Noir? No! No! No! Chat Noir is not causing me shivers! No!"_ she almost snorted, he wasn't quite a smooth talker as he believed himself to be.

Just as he was preparing to practice his movements in mid-air, Chat Noir felt a violent sneeze wrack his whole body and he almost hit himself with his baton, narrowly avoiding pocking his eye out.

His head whipped this way and that as he rubbed at his nose, searching for the flying little demons that usually caused this reaction, but there were no pigeons in the sky.

Shaking his head, Chat Noir extended his arms and spun his staff, jumping from roof to roof while preforming extended flips in the air.

His lady would be so _purroud_.

Marinette sneezed and rubbed at her nose, smiling when Luka chuckled, "Bless you,"

She failed to see the smile he had when she cutely rubbed at her nose, "Thank you,"

Oh god she was spacing out again.

"A-ah, I'm sorry! Y-you didn't do anything wrong Luka it's just I was-" Marinette suddenly remembered the original reason why she had been lost in thoughts in the first place and she felt her cheeks were _burning_ , "Uhm…your music I…just got lost in it," she smiled shyly, wondering if he would laugh or make fun of her, but he did neither.

Instead, his expression softened and he coughed into his fist, taking up his guitar again, "Would you like me to play again?" _For you_ , he wanted to add but refrained from doing so.

Marinette smiled, all the tension leaving her body as she nodded and settled to lean against the wall on Luka's bed, feeling oddly comfortable despite this being the first time she was in a boy's room.

 _"_ _And Juleka's,"_ she mentally added, gaze shooting toward the other side of the room where she spotted a few class and group photos, mainly of them all together.

She watched, transfixed, the way Luka's fingers effortlessly glided against the strings of the guitar and produced that wonderful sound that made her immediately feel at ease.

It was weird. Usually, she was either high-strung or usually very busy, being Ladybug and around Adrien in class, it was a hectic emotional roller-coaster.

But here, with Luka, a boy she didn't even know all that long, it made her heart feel at ease, her body wasn't tense, ready for a possible akuma attack, her heart wasn't stuttering quite so frequently as if Adrien were in the vicinity and her mind wasn't a jumbled mess.

And suddenly, she remembered words her grandmother Gina once told her on her last birthday.

 _If you're around a boy that makes you feel all giddy and excited and like you will explode, walk away from him Marinetta. The boy who makes you feel comfortable, safe and warm, that is a boy you should look out for!_

Luka's tune suddenly changed into something more quiet, subdued but peaceful all the same, it was uplifting and Marinette had to smile.

When she looked at him, she found he was already looking at her, but with a sad expression on his face, "You seemed sad,"

She was sure she looked surprised, because she hadn't known she was that easy to read, how Luka really see through her like this? "I'm sorry…I just had to think of something," she smiled bashfully.

Luka's frown remained, "It's not something worth to think about if it makes you sad," his expression was so sincere that it made Marinette's heart briefly skip a beat.

"Luka…" her voice was soft and it made him focused his full attention on her.

"Hm?" he watched the way she fiddled with her fingers, not in the frenzied way where she was nervous, but in a languid sort of way where she tried to think of what to say next.

"How do you…how can you know what's inside my heart?" Marinette clutched a hand over her heart, "It always really amazed me, how you're in tune with your emotions and can read others so easily, I wish I could do that too," she confessed with a small giggle and Luka scratched the back of his neck.

"It's nothing really. It's something mom used to drill into me at a young age, 'always pay attention how a person reacts, don't do anything they don't like' or 'don't judge people by their appearance but by what's inside'," he chuckled, shaking his head, "Juleka is the same, but she's more calm, she's the type to observe rather than speak what's on their mind. Guess I have to work on that too," Luka released another amused laugh and it made Marinette smile.

She determinedly stared at her feet, feeling her cheeks flame, "I think you don't…" she bit her bottom lip, "I think it's fine if you speak your mind, that's what makes you so interesting,"

Seconds passed away in silence and suddenly, Marinette replayed what she had said in her mind, " _I think it's fine if you speak your mind, that's what makes you so interesting,'_ WHAT wAS SHE THINKING?!

 _"_ _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! He must think I'm flirting! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! But it's true! I can't lie! I don't want to lie! Luka is interesting and funny and cool and-STOP! I want to sink through the floor!"_ very slowly, very hesitantly, Marinette peeked one eye open, slowly looking up at Luka.

His expression seemed frozen, a look of surprise on his handsome ( _stop!)_ features.

It felt like a long time had passed before Marinette's brain turned into overdrive and words spluttered out of her mouth in rapid succession, "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to creep you out or anything Luka! I-"

And suddenly, Luka was chuckling softly, a hand wiping down his face, sporting a small grin.

His eyes were intense when he gazed at her tenderly, "You're a really funny girl Marinette," he shook his head, broad shoulders shaking in suppressed laughter.

Marinette blinked, "H-huh?"

Luka smiled and suddenly scooted closer to her on the bed, taking up the same position as her leaning against the wall, their shoulders touching and Marinette felt a small shock of electricity from where their shoulders met.

He paused, looking at his guitar before back again at her, "What would you like me to play next? Your _pick_ ," Marinette, after being used to Chat Noir's presence for so long, immediately detected the pun and she playfully shoved his shoulder, making him grin and gently shove her back.

She giggled, shaking her head, her heart fluttering gently, "How about…the first melody you played? It…was really nice," she smiled shyly and Luka's fingers magically made the melody surge through her ears, instantly relaxing her.

Marinette hadn't even noticed when she was lulled into a light sleep, she hadn't noticed how her head had slowly rolled to the side to rest on Luka's shoulder.

She also didn't notice that the musician's eyes were no longer focused on playing his guitar, but instead on her sleeping face.

He sighed gently, one hand holding his guitar, while the other gently ghosted over her face to gently move her bangs to the side.

He felt his own heart give uneven beats and he accidentally struck a wrong chord, immediately falling back on the original soothing pattern to not wake up the sleeping girl nestled into his side.

His sigh was soft and finally, after debating with himself for a while, adjusted the guitar in his lap and carefully rested the side of his head on top of Marinette's.

It felt nice, feeling her warmth next to him, the soft rise and fall of her breathing, the soft strands of her hair how they tickled his neck.

He knew he wasn't supposed to be this forward, not without asking her permission, he knew the gentlemanly thing to do would be to get off the bed and grant her space.

But his heart was soaring at her closeness and he couldn't bring himself to move.

What would he tell her when she woke up?

 _Sorry, but you looked so cute sleeping like that I couldn't wake you up._

He shook his head at himself, " _Better not make her even more uncomfortable,"_ he couldn't help but look at her again and smile, " _She really is something else…she said I was interesting,"_

Luka didn't know for how long he could smoothly handle her compliments, her very unexpected but sweet compliments. First he had amazing guitar skills, then he smelled nice and now he was interesting when he spoke his mind.

He felt at ease knowing she couldn't read his mind, lest he wanted her to suffer a heart attack.

He had to stifle his chuckles at the thought, her flustered reactions at his bluntness made her look so adorable, he sometimes asked himself if he said some things on purpose just to see that reaction again.

Slowly raising a hand above his own heart, he was surprised to feel it beating quicker than usually.

Luka smiled, knowing the reason and he allowed himself, just this once, to nuzzle the side of Marinette's head with his own, before falling asleep.

Despite his excellent perception, he failed to notice the small smile on Marinette's face at the action.

Next up would be **AkumatizedLuka**! Any suggestions for his **akuma name?**


	6. The Melody Scene

**A/N:** Thanks for the suggestions for Luka's Akuma name dear readers! I've written down a few ones myself so feel free to vote which one would be best! Also, thank you all so much for the sweet reviews, I love them so much! :3

* * *

 ** _Akumatized Luka Names: VOTE PLEASE!_**

 **Sound Wave**

 **Chat Blanc**

 **Riff Tide (used for fanart already)**

 **Shipwreck**

 **Bob (lmao) sorry, little joke on the side (tho I think Bob will be quite popular XD)**

 **Shiptide**

 **Heartship (sounds like 'hardship' perhaps a little hint to future heart trouble he will cause for Marinette? WINK WINK)**

 **Captain (add name or object associated with him) (something similar to Captain Hardrock)**

That's all for now, if you have anymore ideas feel free to add them in! :3

 ** _Info:_** Since the Love Square has their scenes, I thought why not Lukanette too? **Any more ideas for their scenes are welcome!**

* * *

 ** _The Melody Scene_**

Marinette smiled shyly, lured outside to the deck by the soothing, calm music strummed on a guitar.

She already guessed who the player was, simply from the way her heart resonated with the music and the wave of calm that washed over her overactive mind and body from the festivities downstairs.

Juleka had kindly invited Marinette and the others to her birthday party, they were still celebrating back downstairs, but Marinette had wanted to get a breath of fresh air.

She smiled and walked over to the boy laying on one of the chairs, looking up at the night sky, skilled fingers leisurely strumming along his guitar.

She sat down on one of the chairs, watching him play and he stopped, turning his head to look at her and smiled, "Hey there Ma-Ma-Marinette," he chuckled.

She rolled her eyes playfully, "Is this the way you'll greet me from now on?" she giggled despite herself.

Luka grinned gently, "Hm…maybe," he played a short, happy, upbeat tune on his guitar, "Or maybe I'll greet you like this," she smiled, enjoying the upbeat tune of the guitar.

"Or like this," he changed the tune, relaxing to a more calm one that reminded Marinette of ocean waves and a windy breeze.

Marinette sighed, her shoulders sagging as she leaned back against the chair, enjoying the soft tune, "I think I prefer this type of greeting over the other one,"

An amused chuckle and Marinette wasn't sure what she had liked more.

Her cheeks turned rosy at the thought and she stubbornly thought about Adrien.

Could he be on one of his photoshoots now? How was he? What was he doing? Probably perfectly posing for any of his photoshoots…

Suddenly, a new more active melody entered her ears, it was a bit jumpy, frenzied even, "Is this what you feel in your heart right now?" Luka glanced at her from the corner of his eye, staring up at the sky, "You seem restless, Marinette,"

The dark haired girl bit her lip, wiggling her fingers nervously, "I am…maybe…just a bit, I guess,"

"The party downstairs not to your taste?" he rose an eyebrow, the loud cheers reaching both their ears. No doubt his mother had taken out her own guitar and was offering them a mini live performance.

Marintte quickly shook her head, "No, no, no! I like the party, it's just…" she sighed loudly, "I…I guess I was sad Adrien didn't come," she froze, quickly correcting herself, "I-I mean because w-well, I'm sad _for_ him, that he's missing out on all of this and-and not being able to enjoy it!" she grinned nervously.

Luka frowned, fingers stilling on the strings of his guitar as he turned his head to look at the nervous girl, "Marinette," she looked at him, sitting on the chair opposite of her, "You can be honest with me, you know," he offered her an encouraging smile, his full attention directed solely on her.

She mulled it over, thinking of telling him what was really _bugging_ her, god she was starting to turn into Chat Noir, and finally venting.

Marinette groaned, "Ugh, it's just- his dad doesn't let him do things many other people his age do and it's just so _unfair_ and-" she stopped, grabbing at her bent knees, eyes downcast, "I…really hoped he would come,"

Luka observed her quietly, his gaze slightly pained until it cleared with an idea.

Taking up his guitar again, a hand reaching forward to settle over her own one on her knee, "Marinette, can you close your eyes?"

Raising a brow, Marinette looked at the older boy, "Sure, but why?" she titled her head in curiosity.

Luka smiled, "Just trust me, okay?" a second passed and Marinette's eyes closed.

Luka tried not to think about the slight blush on her cheeks, blaming the breeze for it, despite not being cold at all, and instead adjusted his guitar, so he was cradling it with his legs and using one hand to strum against the strings.

The melody that filled the silence was a happy one but calm all the same, it sounded similar to the first calm one Marinette had heard when she found him up on deck, but this one was happier, warmer.

Pictures and memories floated through Marinette's head, all happy moments she shared with important people close to her.

The last memory was of Alya and her, the time Alya had consoled her after Adrien hadn't shown up to one of their friendly meet-ups.

She smiled.

Another memory came to mind then.

The warmth from Luka's hand on her own made her feel warm, protected even, it caused her to imagine what it would be like, sharing one of these important moments with Luka too.

Marinette turned her hand and grasped Luka's larger one with her own, holding his hand in her grasp gently.

The melody faltered for a split second before playing smoothly again, even calmer this time and Marinette smiled, her heart and mind filling with a sense of peace and security it hadn't for the last week due to increased akuma activity, helping out her parents at the bakery and not seeing Adrien as often.

Marinette's eyes opened and Luka smiled, looking at her, still playing with one hand, "How do you feel?"

Marinette smiled back, squeezing his hand, "A lot better, thanks Luka,"

He smiled, squeezing her hand back before the melody ended on a soft note left hanging in the air, carried by the breeze of the night.

"Should we go join the 'groove' downstairs before the fun ends?" Luka winked playfully, standing up and giving a hand to Marinette.

The girl smirked, grabbing his hand and standing up herself, "If this starts to become a frequent occurrence, I'll have to start embarrassing you just to get back at you," she pouted, but smiled when the boy laughed.

She squeezed his hands, which were still joined with her for helping her up. He had helped her so much now, he had no idea. She would have to repay his kindness somehow.

Just then, Marinette had the perfect idea.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

Luka rose an eyebrow curiously, thinking it over, "Sure I am, why?"

"…How about going ice skating?" Marinette smiled shyly up at the taller boy.

Luka smiled warmly down at her, "I'd like that,"

She felt him squeeze her hand gently and she squeezed his hands back.

Still working on the akumatized Luka chapter, should be updated either in the next chapter or the one after that. Thanks for reading! **Suggestions for new chapters? :3**


	7. Rock their World

A/N: Hi dear Lukanetters! I decided to post this little one shot here on FFnet too, you can also find it on my tumblr (lady-charinette) or on AO3 (as ScarletRedfox) if you cant access FFnet for some reason. It was a anon ask on Tumblr, a really cool prompt, I hope I did it some justice. I apologize for any mistakes, I wrote this in the dead of the night, I hope it's not too bad.

Enjoy reading and have a nice day! :)

Disclaimer: I dont own anything.

 **Rock their World**

They were walking through a narrow corridor, the booming of the crowd was so loud it left the floor shaking.

Marinette sensed her husband's mild trepidation, his guitar was a bit too tightly wound around his neck and the constant rolling of his ring on his finger was too fast to be casual.

They were nearing the backstage area, people rushing left and right, lights of all colors flashing even through the blinds hiding the backstage area from the wild crowd.

Marinette smiled, dressed in a shirt representing her husband's band, the words 'wuw you papa' messily scrawled on the entire front of it, partly covering the band logo, but neither parents could care about that.

She grasped Luka's hand and stopped, feeling resistance before Luka finally stopped a step in front of her, turning back to look at her. "What's wrong, Marinette?" Concern twisted his handsome features and Marinette shook her head.

He still thought of others even when he was a mess.

She lovingly adjusted his shirt and jacket, checking the mic on his shirt, running a hand through his already messy hair to calm him.

It helped, if the deep exhale was any indication.

Part of his weight melted against her, Marinette's hands skillfully rubbing the singer's back, voice humming his song, one she thought of years ago on their wedding day, into his ear.

He sagged against her, strong arms coming up to press her tightly against himself, drawing energy from her silent strength. She was so strong, he still sometimes couldn't believe how lucky he managed to be in life.

Marinette kissed his cheek and the couple broke their embrace to stare at each-other. Luka took a deep breath, before he opened his eyes again and nodded.

The shorter woman grinned, hands resting on his chest, over his heart, where the previously wild pace settled into a more calming beat. "You'll be great Luka, just like you always are. You'll see, their attention will be all on you."

A smile stretched his lips and his aqua eyes turned impossibly soft, leaning down to lovingly kiss her forehead. "If I manage to just capture your attention, that's all I need."

A blush rose to her cheeks and the sight of her shyness managed to bring some of his confidence back, if the grin on his face was any indication.

Marinette playfully slapped his arm, slapping her own cheeks to curb the sudden wave of shyness, trying to ignore his laughter.

He was her _husband_ for haven's sake. She was supposed to be over blushing in front of him.

A gentle hand on the back of her head made her focus on him again, staring into aqua eyes that asked for permission, lips only clue hair's breath away.

A smile curved her lips and her hands fisted his shirt, pulling him in close. They shared a long, slow kiss, giving each-other strength and support in actions than words.

When they broke apart, before her stood not the nervous musician but the confident rockstar she knew he was.

"Thank you, Nette." she smiled, raising her hand.

Luka mirrored her smile, raising his own hand enveloping her smaller one with his larger hand, wedding rings clinking together when their pinky fingers met.

It was a promise.

A promise to do his best and give his all.

A promise to cheer him on and support him all the way until the end.

Just like they did now, just like they _always_ have.

They could hear the crowd's cheers dying down slowly as another announcement was made for the arrival of the next musician to take the stage and that was Luka's cue to go.

With a fluidity that spoke of years of trust, Marinette and Luka broke apart and walked in different directions, Luka to the stage, Marinette to the crowd.

It was showtime.

The crowd's defening roars increased when Luka's name fell from the announcer's lips, who quickly rushed off stage to escape from the loud screams and to give Luka the spotlight.

Tonight would be his solo performance without his band, he just hoped he wouldn't mess up.

No, he _wouldn't_ mess it up.

Not with Marinette's encouraging words still ringing in his ears and the warmth still blooming brightly in his heart.

He _would_ do this.

He spoke into the microphone and he was surprised to hear his own voice with how loud the audience was. "Hey everyone, thanks for coming to my solo gig tonight. I hope you'll like this single, it's a new song I've been working on after the birth of my kids! Rock on!" he stepped back for a moment, the loud roars and cheers and screams even louder than before, bordering on eardrum breaking proportions.

Luka chuckled when he saw the banners and cloths held up high over people's heads.

 _'WE LOVE U MAN!'_

 _'LUKA COUFFAINE 4 THE WIN!'_

 _'I'M STILL SINGLE!'_

 _'WE LOVE UR SONGS!'_

 _'CALL ME XXXX'_

 _'VIPERION IS HOT! HOT! HOT!'_

 _'YOUR KIDS AND WIFE ARE SO CUTE BRO!_ '

A particularly big one caught his eye and he had to back away from the mic to laugh.

In the middle right, a bit closer to the stage, there was a semi-large group of people wearing the familiar white unicorn masks he remembered Kitty Section wearing when they debuted.

And everyone was there too.

His sister, Rose, Mylene, her boyfriend Ivan, Alya and Nino, Adrien, Kagami, Alix, Kim, Max and of course the most important person, holding the biggest banner someone her size possibly could, with strength gained from years of being a hero.

His _wife_.

His gaze softened when he managed to catch her eyes and she stretched her arms as far as they could, waving the banner in the air.

That one was his favorite.

' _ROCK THEIR WORLD, DEAR!'_

Decorated with hearts, her signature flower design and his old Kitty Section mask drawn in the corner.

Luka grinned, taking out his favorite all time pick, which never failed to bring him luck.

He had it custom made.

A picture of his wife and kids on the front, with his sister and mom on the back.

With a final breath, he strummed the pick across the strings of his guitar and the crowd boomed.

 _A little while later..._

Luka Couffaine signed autographs with a smile, meeting each fan's eyes and making silly faces on photographs to make them memorable.

It was his third favorite thing after performing on stage to do.

His most favorite thing was currently running straight at him.

Marinette dived into his already waiting arms, body vibrating with energy, as if his song was still coursing through her veins.

She had a big grin on her face and her eyes shone like stars and Luka found himself falling for his wife all over again.

Their friends in the back were trying to fight their way passed the fans, the Gorilla and Fang, whom Jagged often allowed to accompany Adrien's bodyguard because they made a surprisingly good duo.

Luka still didn't understand how the odd friendship came to be, but it was always entertaining seeing the previously wild crowd of fans parting like the sea when a large hulking man and a equally sizable crocodile marched their way through them.

And then, the fans rounded on them, camera flashes and eager faces in their view.

"OMG! It's Marinette Couffaine-Cheng! LUKA IS WEARING HER DESIGN!" one fan screamed, obviously a fan of his wife too, if the red earrings on her ears and a shirt with her signature flower design was any clue.

Marinette laughed, smiling and also singing autographs, fans shouting praises.

Luka kept to the background but remained visible enough for his wife's handy work to be seen.

Everything down to his socks was designed by his wife. A black leather jacket with her pink and white flower design on the breast pocket with a green snake, too similar to Sass to be a coincidence, curling around the sleeves of the jacket. Underneath the jacket was a white shirt with the band's faces drawn in simple but artistic art lines, a nod to his old Jagged Stone shirt he used to wear in his youth.

On the front was the biggest head, his own, accentuated with blue lines, followed on either side by his sister's in purple, Rose's in pink, Ivan's in red, Adrien's in yellow and Alix's in green.

His pants were dark blue denims, ripped at the knees how he liked it, decorated with small subtle music notes here and there, not too many to be tacky, but enough to catch attention, in colors of white and light blue. Simple black boots covered his feet.

His hair, dyed teal blue near the ends, the root with his natural black and the very beginning tips which remained untouched by blue were covered by red instead, completed the look.

Red like a certain heroine's suit.

He smirked proudly at the rightful attention his wife gained, more and more of his fans immediately catering to Marinette, who accepted praise and compliments with a beaming smile and blushing cheeks. He was fully convinced most if not all of his fans were already his wife's, he was also convinced they loved her more than they did him and that was fine by him.

He loved her more than he could ever bring to love himself too.

He caught her flashing her wedding ring a few times in response to male fans with phone numbers plastered to their banners and Luka had to chuckle at that.

He was there to lead her back to their friends waiting patiently in the lounge of the hotel, after having signed some of their own autographs with their fans having accompanied Luka's gig tonight.

He was there when they finally hit the soft, inviting mattress of the hotel bed, chuckling like teenagers when they called their kids, babysat by Nathaniel and Marc, cheering at their parents for their father's performance and scolding them for staying up so late.

Marc had blushed to the roots of his hair for the scolding, with Luka trying to reassure him they weren't scolding him and Nathaniel shaking his head helplessly.

They knew how rowdy their kids could be, despite them being generally well-behaved and sweethearts. They'd inherited both of their parent's more wild streaks; Marinette's impulsiveness and Luka's rebelliousness.

With kisses and soft whispers of good night, with plentiful 'thank you's to Nathaniel and Marc for watching over them, they ended the video chat with their kids and set the phone aside.

With the much welcomed silence filling the room, Luka hissed when he rolled onto his back, stretching himself after the strain of the long night.

Marinette scooted closer and rested a hand on her husband's chest, the couple sighing deeply at the other's closeness.

She drew soothing circles on his naked skin, humming a soft tune.

No, not _a_ soft tune, _his_ tune.

He smiled and wrapped an arm around her, gathering her close and kissing his wife's head. "You were amazing Marinette."

She glanced up at him with an amused smile. "Me? _You_ were the one with the hour long gig remember?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I meant before it all started. I was a bit nervous and you calmed me down before I made a fool of myself." He pressed another kiss to the top of her head. "You're always there for me and I can't thank you enough with words."

His wife giggled, raising herself up and kissing his nose before pecking his lips sweetly. "There are many other ways you can thank me other than with words."

Luka smiled and chuckled when his wife kissed him again and he felt like the world was right.


	8. Oblivious

**A/N: Aged up Lukanette! AUish, mildly based on the drama "Evergreen Love" (watch it, I can highly recommend it! It's a simple movie but very heartwarming and lovely to relax!) :3**

 **Oblivious**

The roar of the rushing cars and the sounds of the intercom imploring people to board the train couldn't distract her from the feeling of his presence, his _eyes_ on her.

Marinette didn't have to turn around to know he was there, but she did, right when the man pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against.

His face betrayed none of his emotions, except maybe a silent anger that had yet to break out, to shatter the mask of calm he almost always kept up. Marinette thought it was from their fight from yesterday, she had no idea this was the calm before the storm for an entirely different reason.

Marinette knew she was still upset with him, she knew she was supposed to be irritated and angry and _upset_ at him being there.

But for some reason, all she felt was relief.

"Luka..."

Blue eyes watched her keenly, his silence and oddly guarded countenance oddly alarming and calming her at the same time. "What are you doing?" before the designer could answer, Luka's attention shifted away from her.

"Um…" she still felt the mild buzz from the drinks she had herself, granted, she'd been nowhere near as wasted as Alya and Nino before they took the taxi home, but she couldn't deny the disarming effect alcohol had on her.

She heard footsteps, slightly unsteady, behind her. She saw Felix, still a little wobbly on his feet from the alcohol he'd consumed over the course of the evening. He stood straight, composed, but the cloudy look in his eyes betrayed the inebriated state he was in.

She knew he always tried to be professional, but he really shouldn't try so hard when drunk.

The two men stood opposite of each-other, and if Marinette were of a completely clear mind, the assessing looks they both shot each-other should've made her suspicious or at least worried.

With the days she'd had, she failed to realize the dangerous intensity Luka levelled Felix with, nor the irritated anger seeping off the blond businessman's every pore at the unexpected arrival, as they seized each-other up like wolves before a fight.

"Who is this?" the deceptively calm nature in Luka's tone caught Marinette's attention and she would've answered sooner, quicker, were her senses not as dulled.

"Um….this…this is…" she pointed clumsily at the man dressed in the suit, jacket and sleek black briefcase held in one arm. "Felix from work. He's my senior, he said his cousin lived near my house so he accompanied me on the way."

If Marinette hadn't had those stressful weeks, or the drinks tonight, she'd immediately realized Adrien didn't even live anywhere near her. She didn't know if Felix had any other cousins, but according to Adrien, they only had each-other.

Felix' voice, normally calm, cool, composed, was now slightly sharp, cutting like a blade. "And who are you?" green eyes narrowed at the man standing in front of him, lips pulled into a thin line.

The air was charged, as if electricity cracked between them, the kind that could spark a deadly inferno, burning all in its wake.

Luka never took his gaze off him, normally kind blue eyes uncannily guarded. "Miss Dupain-Cheng's…acquaintance."

Raising an eyebrow, Felix shifted his weight, scoffing in disbelief. "Is that….so…"

The musician didn't waste a minute, the next question, along with his steady glare, was solely aimed at the obviously intoxicated man. "You said your cousin lived right around here, right?"

"Yeah." Felix tried to carefully mask his emotions, but the effects of the alcohol made his normally fool proof charms difficult to use.

Blue eyes narrowed further. "Where does he live exactly? Maybe I can help."

Felix clenched his fist but tried playing it cool, the cloudy haze that seemed to settle like a veil over his senses not helping him in his sense of direction, nor his normally peak manipulation skills. "Well, you see…I don't visit him often, I know the way by foot, but…not exactly the address."

He hoped the lie was believable.

Marinette seemed to buy it, but the man with the blue dyed hair didn't.

Felix saw it in the dangerously narrowed death glare he was sending him, in the clench of his jaw and the mounting fury in his eyes when he realized the lie.

"You could take a taxi then." The sentence fell like an iron wall between them and Felix knew, without his mind being clear and his performance lacking, there was little he could do to convince them of his lies.

He'd lost.

Glancing towards Marinette with a smile and an apologetic twist of the lips, Felix nodded at her politely. "My apologies, it seems I forgot where…where my own cousin lives. I'll see you at work tomorrow then." Marinette nodded at him with a small smile. Then, Felix glanced at Luka. "If…you'll excuse me."

With a curt nod, the blond excused himself and Luka never once let his gaze stray, eyes trained on the man's back, right until he saw the cab pull over and drive away.

Only then did some of the tension leave the rigid set of his shoulders, but the glare that seemed to stick to his face didn't ebb away. Instead, it remained all the way to the walk back home.

Marinette remained quiet beside him, her steps slower and she was silently thankful that Luka slowed his own pace so she kept up with him.

The walk seemed entirely too long, the silence so suffocating between them that Marinette felt drugged, besides the buzz of the alcohol.

And then, when Luka unlocked the front door to Marinette's house and they finally entered the four warm walls of her little apartment, Marinette swore something snapped.

Or some _one._

Marinette took off her shoes, hanging her bag on the coat rack, but before she could bypass the kitchen where Luka washed his hands, he spoke. "You…surprised me back there."

The designer froze, one hand balancing herself against the wall. "…Why?" she should've listened to the sinking feeling in her stomach, the unsettling ache in her very bones.

The unnerving silence that filled the spaces where Luka didn't speak.

"You hang out with pretty much everyone at work, right? Including an emotional manipulator." She'd never heard him speak like that, much less the low, almost threatening tone that changed his normally soft timbre to a booming one.

Marinette felt something like rage flicker to life within her, maybe it was the wine she had, maybe it was the stress, the fight they had yesterday, maybe it was a combination of all of them.

Marinette snapped. "You know, he actually isn't bad when he doesn't drink. He's a bit arrogant, but a good listener."

She was about to turn around, head into her room and go to bed to sleep off the stress of the week, but the guitarist in her kitchen had other ideas.

He wiped his hands dry with a kitchen cloth, before he crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter, fingers gripping his biceps tightly. "That so…"

The smaller woman rounded on him, fire burning in her eyes, the fogginess from before clearing with her mounting anger. "What's with that attitude? What are you trying to say, Luka?!"

He turned his head, jaw set. "Me? I'm not trying to insinuate anything. I was just surprised how you were so willing to show him the way to his 'cousin's house', because Adrien doesn't even live anywhere here."

Her teeth ground together in a painful clash and Marinette growled. "He was just confused!"

"You mean drunk. So what? You'd have led him around in a blind chase? Or would you have invited him to sleep over had another few hours passed?!" the biting retort was the last straw that snapped the final web of control Marinette had.

The hand wasn't intended for his face, it was for his shoulder instead, a light swipe of the palm that never meant to hurt, never to injure.

But it never connected.

Luka easily caught the weak wrist in his hand, he could feel her fighting and tugging, but all her attempts were weak and half-hearted.

"Don't say things like that! Do you even know what you're saying?"

He kept her hand captive in his and took a step towards her, bodies only inches apart now. "Do _you_ know what you're saying, Marinette? If I hadn't been there, if I hadn't waited there for you to come from work and apologize for yesterday, would you even have noticed his little game of trying to sleep with you?!"

Her entire body was shaking, she felt anger, such _anger_. Who did he think he was?

"E-even if I had, you had no right acting like you did! We- we are not a couple, Luka!"

At that, he inhaled sharply and his eyes momentarily left her own burning gaze, before they came back with a vengeance. "That doesn't matter! You're my friend Marinette, I care about you, I would do anything to make sure you're alright!"

And finally, the dam broke. The tears filled her eyes before she could stop them, before she could stop the tremble in her voice. "Then why couldn't you do that when you told Chloe you never felt anything for me?!"

Stunned silence filled the small kitchen, only Marinette's sniffles and sobs were there to disrupt it.

Luka himself stood rooted to the spot, face frozen and eyes as wide as saucers.

A look of clarity washed over him then and the previous fury and agitation vanished from his expression. "You…"

Her eyes were squeezed shut, body wracked with tremors. "I-I heard…I-"

Her breath caught in her throat when she felt arms wrap around her tightly, the back of her head cradled gently but firmly to a solid, comforting warmth.

Marinette tried to fight, to fight the feelings that threatened to consume her, but Luka held onto her and whispered softly close to her ear. "What you heard was wrong."

Bluebell eyes slowly opened and Marinette trembled within Luka's arms, the man soothingly rubbing her back to calm her down. "W-What?"

A soft chuckle and she felt him gently nuzzle the side of her head before he broke their embrace, his hands gently holding her shoulders.

All the anger and disappointment, everything was gone and instead, Marinette gazed at the familiar soft look of the guitarist, the look he always looked at her with.

Luka rubbed his thumb affectionately against her soft cheek, rubbing the tears away. He shook his head in disbelief. "You heard the sound of a broken and damaged record player, playing the wrong disc."

Bluebell eyes widened even further in disbelief. "….The…wrong disc?" was she…was she hearing right?

Luka smiled. "You didn't stay till the end, right? She actually called me out for my lie and…well, I had no choice but to admit, right? I switched out the disc and…the words I told her then were the truth."

Marinette felt like the rug was pulled from her feet, but she also felt like she was encased in a safety net, she had no idea what to feel. "What…what do you mean? You…you said something else?"

The words he said next sounded like words he said often, or knew by heart, but the deeply content and loving look he gave her suggested it was solely directed at her, from his very heart. "Marinette is a wonderful woman. Clear as a music note, sincere as a melody. She is the song I hear in my head ever since we first met." He paused, letting the words sink in, but his gaze was always on her, never straying. "You are the melody that never left the place in my heart, the melody I try to play on my guitar since we first met, Marinette. A melody that keeps my heart warm when the rest of me is cold."

He grabbed her hand and placed it directly over his beating heart, the beat strong and steady.

A fierce blush covered her entire face, but finally clarity settled over her formerly conflicted features.

She knew.

She finally knew.

"Luka I-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Luka took a step back, shaking his head. "You…don't have to tell me. I know. And it's fine Marinette, I don't want to force you, nor let you think you have to return my feelings or offer me an apology. As long as I can be your friend that's-mppfh!" a finger was suddenly firmly planted on his lips and wide aqua eyes stared into resolute bluebell ones.

"Be silent." She took a deep breath, "Just…just for a moment." Slowly she let her finger slide away and Luka watched her, in stunned silence.

"I…I've been trying so hard to tell myself not to have those feelings for you, that you didn't feel the same, and then….then you just- _tell_ me all these beautiful things and I don't know if I'm dreaming or hallucinating, maybe it's the alcohol, I mean I'm not drunk, but maybe I am, maybe this is all a dr-" her short-lived rant stopped, frozen mid-sentence when she felt soft, warm pressure on her forehead.

Luka placed a loving kiss on her forehead, leaning down to stare into her eyes with a soft grin that made her knees feel like limp noodles. "Trust me little melody, this isn't a dream, but if it is, it's the best one I've had yet."

He chuckled and after Marinette got over her shock, she couldn't stifle her own giggles. Soon, the kitchen was filled with laughter, the two adults falling into each-others arms, laughing at their own silliness.

"We _are_ pretty oblivious, aren't we?" Marinette's question was answered with an amused snort and Luka playfully nuzzled her head.

"I guess we are, but I'm glad we aren't oblivious on one thing." Marinette blushed but agreed, nodding into his chest.

They stayed like that for a while, locked in each-others embrace, but Marinette felt the need to address something else first. "What….what I said earlier I…I did mean it. My mind was too foggy, I wasn't thinking properly, I didn't think he was that type of guy to-"

Luka's warm hand settled gently on Marinette's head, rubbing it soothingly, voice low and soft. "I know, little melody, I know." He paused, as if searching for the right words, which failed him more often than music ever could. "I…wasn't thinking clearly either." He sighed deeply, hugging her closer to himself. "Did…did I scare you?"

Marinette shook her head, smiling. "No. I was just…surprised. I didn't think you were the jealous type." She giggled when she felt him bury his face in her hair out of embarrassment and she affectionately rubbed the spot over his heart. "But I felt safe with you, even if I had been angry."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I'm glad."

It was only a short moment when he felt her poke his side playfully. "Next time, try not to kill him with your glare."

An unbidden smirk curled his lips and Marinette leaned away from the comfortable perch on his chest to raise an eyebrow at his reaction. "And how would you know what I thought about?"

She huffed, a small smile on her lips. "That's easy, I can read you like a book!"

Luka smiled and leaned down, face only inches away from hers, gaze impossibly soft. "Then, what am I thinking now?"

Marinette's face felt entirely too hot and she tried to fight against the sudden dryness in her mouth. "Um…"

Luka chuckled, smile breaking into a full blown grin, before he kissed her forehead again. "I'm glad you can't read my thoughts though."

Suspicion made her raise an eyebrow curiously. "A-And why is that?"

The guitarist made her heart nearly jump out of her ribcage with just these simple words. "Because you'd never stop blushing when you hear how much I admire and adore you." His large hands framed her increasingly reddening face, gaze trained on her. "How cute I think you are, especially when you're embarrassed or start swaying off topic. How incredible you are with all the work and effort you put into your designs, how brave and selfless you are in everything you do. You'd combust, little melody." He teased with a playful grin, rubbing her cheeks lightly with his thumbs.

Marinette felt like there was a high time to even out the playing field, she couldn't be the only one nearly suffering a heart attack and a face nearly on fire!

The young designer quickly moved on her tiptoes, her own smaller hands reaching forward to grab his cheeks, with surprised blue eyes staring down at her. "O-Oh yeah? Well…w-well you'd explode if you'd hear my thoughts! How-how brave I think you are for choosing your own way in life and not listening to what others had to say! How incredibly sweet and thoughtful you are when you found a part-time job just to help me out! How talented you are with your guitar and singing and all the other instruments, but you're still so humble despite all your talents! You're always looking out and caring for others Luka, so l-let me take care of you!"

The dark-haired woman's face resembled a ripe cherry, but her flaming cheeks had nothing on the guitarist before her.

His mouth was open, jaw slack, eyes wide and cheeks tinted a light pink.

What he did next, surprised her. _Again._

He suddenly pulled her close, nearly crushing her against his body, his face pressed into her hair tightly. "L-Luka, what-!"

"Just…j-just give me a moment, little melody." The hoarse voice whispering into her ear made her smile, rubbing his back affectionately despite the giggles wanting to burst from her chest.

" _Now_ who's combusting?" she giggled at her own joke, finding the fact how flustered he was to be far too adorable not to tease. She'd definitely file this information away for later.

The sudden light pinch at her side made her squeal.

 **Thanks for reading! What did you think? :)**


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